by Sarah Lynch, Special for USA TODAY

by Sarah Lynch, Special for USA TODAY

GAZA CITY - Rain poured down on the city Thursday as people cleaned up from the aftermath of the violent conflict between the Israeli military and Hamas that ended with a cease-fire Wednesday night.

"It's complete destruction," Omar Esbeh said, looking at the ruins of a building that was obliterated in an Israeli airstrike this week near his hummus and falafel shop.

"The one thing I really relied on is gone now," he said of the restaurant, closed because of the damage.

That isn't nearly the worst of the destruction.

Eight days of Israeli strikes killed 162 Palestinians, many of them civilians. Israel launched its air campaign after a missile from Gaza, under the watchful eye of Hamas, which controls the strip, injured four Israeli soldiers.

But people in Gaza express respect for Hamas, which did nothing to stop the initial attack and throughout the conflict fired rockets into Israel even though it meant Israel would strike back hard. Many said Hamas made gains in a conflict with deeper history.

Gazans say their struggle began with the creation of the Israeli state in 1948, sparking a war that caused hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to relocate.

"I carried my carpet, pillow, my bed on my back when I came from Beersheba to Gaza," said George Saaba, 81, sitting outside a juice shop.

The conflict between the Palestinians and Israelis has raged since then, said Mkhaimar Abusada, an associate professor of political science at Al-Azhar University in Gaza, and numerous wars have erupted.

"Now this is my life," Saaba said on the morning after eight days of Israeli strikes. "Where is humanity, peace and justice?"

Others agreed.

"At the end of the day, we want an end to the Israeli occupation,"
Abusada said.

After the missile fired from Gaza on Nov. 10 injured four Israeli soldiers, crossfire ensued. Four days later, Israel killed the Hamas military chief, Ahmad Jabari.

"Israelis provoked the fighting with the killing of Jabari, and most Gazans will rally around Hamas at that point because they're the resistance to Israel," said David Hartwell, Middle East analyst at HIS Jane, a defense and security intelligence agency in London.

Hamas responded by sending long-range missiles while Gaza was pounded with airstrikes by Israel.

"No matter how far we go with attacking, Israel will always be the problem," Alyan said. "What we do is nothing compared to what they do. We have been trying to gain our freedom and put this to an end."

There are Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan.

Youssef Al-Zahar of Hamas, who manages civil defense services in Gaza, said the group seeks to "liberate our land" and when "Israel does anything to us, (it) will face our rockets and our struggle."

Before the conflict began last week, Hamas did not enjoy nearly as much support as it does now, locals said.

"The outcomes of the war made us understand them more, like them more," teacher Adel Awal said about Hamas.

Palestinians were able to strike the heart of Israel - Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

"This is considered a big victory for the Palestinians" as "most of Israel became vulnerable," Abusada said. "We are not going to defeat Israel militarily, but this round of violence showed the Palestinians that they can make Israel suffer, even at the psychological level."

But some in Gaza worry about the impact of renewed fighting on their lives. The territory already has more than 40% unemployment, and last week's airstrikes nearly shut down the government and many businesses.

Ez AL Dean Al Khalot, 24, a college graduate who lives in the beach area in the western part of Gaza City, said during last week's attacks that the constant explosions have him worried about his family's safety and how he will provide for them.

"We barely get through the day, since my income is little and I am the only breadwinner in the family (of six)," he said. "I've just been sitting here waiting and hoping that this nightmare will be over soon so I can return back to my work again."

Hamas, labeled a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, has involved itself in the community over the years, from education to health services to support with money, food, clothing and children's books for school, said Yossi Mekelberg, associate fellow on the Middle East and North Africa at Chatham House, a think-tank in London.

"They were an alternative to government in many ways," Mekelberg said. After winning elections in 2006, Hamas balances a role between running the government and providing community support, in addition to having a militant wing.

The latest chapter in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict stems from Israel's economic blockade, which became comprehensive in 2007 after Hamas took control of Gaza.

Israel and Egypt have eased some restrictions on imports and exports since then, but the blockade breeds hostility and obstructs the economy.

People in Gaza "blame the Israelis for the blockade and for the day-to-day economic hardships," Hartwell said. "They view the rockets somewhat agnostically and say we have to have some way of trying to alleviate our problems. It's a very philosophical view."

As homes shook from loud explosions this week, the eyes of many Gaza residents were glued to the Hamas-run Al-Aqsa TV channel. Programming constantly updated viewers, interspersed with Hamas victory songs and images of fighters and slain Palestinian, known here as "martyrs."

Thursday, supporters of the political faction Fatah, the rival of Hamas, waved their yellow flags alongside Hamas banners, celebrating peace and their perceived victories.

"The people in general have been unified," said Faisal Abou Shahla, a leader of Fatah. "Whether Fatah or Hamas, we were all attacked. In the end, we are all one nation."

"It's a victory not just for Hamas, but everyone - all Palestinians," said Ale Ahmed Awad, 23, a driver.

Life returned to normal Thursday as shops reopened and the city buzzed with life, but amid calm, the bigger battle will go on.

"The more Israel inflicts death and destruction on the Palestinians, the more the Palestinians become resilient and confident that they will have to keep up their struggle against Israel until they regain their freedom and liberty and establish their own state on the 1967 territories - West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem," Abusada said.